March 29, 2012
By Sam Hudson
This startling catch would guarantee, hands down, a tournament victory at any of the popular most-spot redfish tournaments.
It's not uncommon for redfish, especially juveniles, to have multiple spots on their tail and sides, but Steve Johnson's fish caught in the Pine Island Sound area traverses into the realm of cheetahs, Dalmatians and giraffes. Johnson was fishing in late October when he caught the fish.
“This was a one of a kind redfish,” he said. “We thought it was a trout when it first got close to the boat.”
The 606-spot redfish—304 spots on one side and 302 on the other—weighed 6.25 pounds, had a 14-inch girth and measured just over 26 inches. Although it was not a spotted seatrout, it begs the question: Just where did all the spots come from?
Johnson took a couple photos and a DNA sample to send to Mote Marine Laboratory, but otherwise released the fish to fight another day. Even through 30 years of fishing redfish tournaments across the state, Johnson and his tournament partner say they have never seen anything like it.
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